UK nurse relocating to USA, is it worth it?!!

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Hi im a UK a and e nurse and have just started the emigration process to the US, Im really disheartened at how difficult it is and the hoops we appear to have to jump through!! ive just learnt that I have to sit an exam to see if im eligible to sit an exam!! the NCLEX, ive also found that although my lack of Mental Health clinical placement during my P2000 training was never an issue in the UK, it may be in the US, and all this before I even start the Green Card process and job applications :cry: no disrespect to the US, I understand that they must be sure we are suitable before employing us, but my friend has just applied to Australia and has had no issues at all!! I would love to hear from any UK nurse who is in the process at the moment or who has already moved to the US just to reasure me that it will be worth it!! and there is light at the end of what appears to be a very long dark tunnel xx

Specializes in Stroke Rehab, Elderly, Rehab. Ortho.

I have been in Florida almost 3 years and I can say it is worth it definately. However my journey to come here was 37 months from start to finish and we thought we would never get here....now it seems like a distant memory. I dont know how long you would have to wait with the retrogression but if you can stick it out I am sure if you are determined enough you will be fine when you get here.

As far as your kids are concerned - I think we as parents worry more than the kids do. Mine are a bit younger (12 & 6 now). My eldest was 9 when we moved over here and since we have been here he has been to 3 different schools. The first elementary was 15 mins away from home but then the following year they rezoned and he had to spend his last year in Elementary in another school (but that was 1/2 mile away) He is now going up to 7th grade in middle school in the IB programme and he is an A/B honor student - so he has not suffered at all.

My youngest was 3.5 when we moved and he will be going into 1st grade in August. he sounds like an American now and doesnt know any different. he think the UK is another planet!!! lol

They both settled within days of arriving here and saw it as a huge adventure.....

My friend who came out 2 weeks before me her kids are now 12 & 15 (9 and 12 when they came over) and they are both doing well too :yeah:

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Specializes in Emergency Care.

Thanks Sueilp, my kids are really excited about the prospect of living in the US and like you say i think im worrying more than they are. We have decided to go ahead with the process and see what happens, i have been told (by an American) that after Feb when the new president takes over office that there may be a change in the immigration laws and things my be sped up for visas. However, im going to work on the previous info and assume is could take 3 years!. Ive also heard that Vermont is a very difficult board to apply to, they are very strict and very slow - dont know if this is just hearsay - anyone got any experiance with them? x

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Don't think Vermont as any different or stricter than other BON's but they probably are slow as a lot of foreign nurses apply there for initial licensure

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Specializes in Dialysis, Nephrology & Cosmetic Surgery.

I am seeking licensure through Vermont and although it has been along time since I first sent my application the delay has not been entirely because of them. I would say that they appear to be more strict of late in regard to the amount of info on your VOE from your Uni, in the end I went through CGFNS to get them approved and am eagerly waiting for Vermont to give me the OK - they have had my report for a little over a week now. It says on their website it takes 3 - 4 months and this was about the time it took them to tell me they wanted more detail!

I read in a lot of threads here that California won't issue you with a license until you have a SS number and this seems to be a cause of concern for some. So far I think Vermont will issue your license - but that could change?

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Specializes in Stroke Rehab, Elderly, Rehab. Ortho.

I read in a lot of threads here that California won't issue you with a license until you have a SS number and this seems to be a cause of concern for some. So far I think Vermont will issue your license - but that could change?

Florida wont issue license either until you have a SSN but it wasnt a problem - I faxed them the receipt I got with my social security number on and got my license within 2 weeks

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Just to add a side note to this: The President of the US does not create visas, and we have not had a change to the number of green cards being issued per year in quite sometime. Same as your country has restrictions on the number of visas that it issues and it actually has a hiring freeze in place and very hard for an American to be able to work there now as well. And when they come into office the beginning of 2009, there are going to be many more important things on their plate before any issue of visas for nurses can even be addressed. Just not something that is going to happen right away. Everything always need to go thru Congress as well as the House of Representatives. Same way that your Prime Minister cannot just create what ever he wants to do, it takes a vote and a long process.

Next issue is that even if something similar to Schedule A comes back or the 20,000 visas for nurses allotted over the next three years per year, it still does not really help you at all as one needs to have a completed file to be able to get one of these visas, and if you are just starting the licensing process now, it is going to be quite sometime to get thru things. There are many more than that already with completed petitions and are just waiting for a visa number.

Not trying to bust any bubbles here, but quite a few of the UK nurses have been waiting for close to three years and still do not have a visa and this was from before the retrogression even started. And they already have completed files. Just want you to be aware that things are not going to be as quick as you may think that they will be.

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Specializes in Psych , Peds ,Nicu.

As I already said , I came here in 1988 ,I guess I was lucky in that from when I decided to come to the USA and when I arrived at my place of employment was about 1 year .

Once in the US went through a period of adjustments to the differences in cultures , these exist. eg being cut when too many staff for the number of patients ,with that comes the realisation ,that whatever your hourly rate ,you cannot simply multiply the number of hours you are scheduled to work and come up with your actual yearly income.

On the whole I have been happy in the USA , indeed I met my wife here ( who came here from asia ) , have three children ,two houses and cars , so haven't done too bad , having arrived here with two cases and about $5000 .

It was relatively easy for me to make the decision to come here as I only had myself to consider , the OP knows her circumstances and family , so will be able to come to a decision that is best for her family .

Maintain the dream ,whilst ensureing that present realities are accomodated

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Specializes in med/surg.

ON a slight tangent here but have any of you noticed that they still advertise jobs for nurses in the USA in the nursing mags with no reference at all to the long, protracted wait? The ads run with headlines such as & I quote - "here today - USA tomorrow" It's very misleading in my book.

I actually wrote to the Nursing Times to complain but they didn't print the letter, or get the ads changed. Nurses who haven't discovered this site are going to get a real shock when they find out the truth.

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Specializes in Emergency Care.

Yes your right, i completely agree, I started the process after seeing an ad and foolishly thought, get my NCLEX done in the next couple of months apply for visa and start in the US in about a year!! thinking my main hold up would be selling our house - how wrong were we!! Ive now been advised that it could take up to a year just to get my ATT and sit the NCLEX - im amazed that US hospitals even consider giving international nurses jobs knowing that they may not be in post for over 3 years - my friend started process for Australia in March and is in Visa queue already with expected receipt date of 8 months - she'll be sat on the beach before ive got in the queue!! never mind, patients is a vertue x

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Blame these unscrupulous agencies that make promises that they cannot keep. The retrogression has been in place for almost two years, so they are not old adverts that you are seeing.

Four years ago it was rather fast to get to the US when the last retrogression was in place with the PIC countries, some from the UK applied in February with an agency, and were in the US with a green card by October. But that is definitely not the case any longer, far from it. It is also taking longer to get credentials evaluated and approval from a BON as well just to sit for the exam.

And there are quite a few here that have PD dates from 2005 and from the UK that still are waiting for the green card just to give you an idea of what has been happening.

Now if all of you would just complain to the newspapers as well as magazines and even the NMC about what you are seeing in the way of advertisements, it would help quite a bit. Also let the US Embassy there in London know of this as well. It is the only way to stop it.

Best of luck to you.

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it is a dark tunnel, believe me..i am educated in Europe and failed nclex. Very difficult, complicated exam. Nurses from Europe dont have to have this kind of knowledge, doctor has to have it.

Even I will pass the exam in few months (i am going to reapply) I am not sure the hospital will hire me, I am ready for more obsticles in the future.

But try! This is only my story

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Hi, I'm a UK nurse. I have lived in the USA for 7 yrs and worked here as a nurse for 2 1/2yrs. I graduated in 1982, one of the first intakes to study the nursing process, so fortunately I covered the requirements for mental health, peds, maternity etc. I can't see why you wouldn't have sufficent hrs of mental health since I did and you trained after me. It took a year for the California Board of Nursing to secure the transcripts of my nursing education. I trained at a College of Nursing attached to my hospital. The college is now obsolete but they still managed to get my transcripts. I then received the ATT, paid my money and had a yr to take the test. Unfortunately I had a bereavement and had to spend some time in the UK and when I checked on my status I found I only had 4 weeks left to take the test! Bought the best book around - Saunders NCLEX Review, stuck the disk in the computer and just answered questions every free moment I had. I passed in 75 questions and that was with an 18yr gap from nursing. If I can do it you certainly can!

You can apply for a working visa, submit all the paperwork for a greencard, and just keep renewing the visa until your greencard arrives. Ours took 3 yrs.

Schooling depends on the area. Whenever I move I always find the good schools first and then the hospital. Good website is greatschools.net I have 2 kids in a good college( very expensive) and a son about to enter high school. If your kids are good students they should do well in high school but you need to keep an eye on their grades as its easy to let things slip. The high schools are large and you won't know if your child is failing until you get the grade report. just keep your finger on the pulse. I love the 4yr college system here. Both my girls are at a great college and are getting a really good education with the opportunity to study abroad as well.

A heads up, nursing is well paid here but very frenetic and tough and stressful. You really earn your money. Hope this helps. Good luck.

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